The Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth (Industry) of the Council of the European Union will meet on 24 July 2026 at 10:00 in the Justus Lipsius Building, Brussels, to continue its article-by-article examination of the Chips Act 2.0 proposal and receive updates on critical raw materials, according to a notice of meeting and provisional agenda published on 17 July 2026.
The meeting's second agenda item focuses on the continuation of the detailed review of the proposed regulation establishing a framework to strengthen the EU's semiconductor ecosystem, which would repeal the current Chips Act (Regulation (EU) 2023/1781). The examination is based on documents ST 10094/26 and its addendum. This legislative work follows the European Commission's proposal for Chips Act 2.0, aimed at further boosting the EU's semiconductor production capacity and supply chain resilience.
Under agenda item 3, the Presidency and the European Commission will provide a state-of-play report on the proposal amending Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 on critical raw materials. The Commission is also scheduled to update the working party on the Critical Raw Materials Centre proposal, which aims to coordinate EU efforts in securing access to essential materials for green and digital transitions.
Agenda item 4 features a Commission update on forthcoming negotiations on partnerships for raw materials value chains, reflecting the EU's strategy to diversify supply sources and reduce dependencies on single suppliers.
The meeting advances two key legislative files under the EU's broader industrial competitiveness agenda. The Chips Act 2.0 examination involves detailed scrutiny of provisions affecting semiconductor manufacturers, research institutions, and national authorities. The critical raw materials updates will impact mining and recycling industries, as well as downstream sectors reliant on rare earths and battery materials.
No decisions are expected at this working party meeting, which serves as a technical preparatory step before the file proceeds to higher-level Council discussions and eventual negotiations with the European Parliament.